The Coffin Dancer

Publisher's Summary

Detective Lincoln Rhyme, the foremost criminalist in the NYPD, is on the hunt for an elusive murderer, the Coffin Dancer. He's a brilliant hitman who changes his appearance even faster than he adds to his trail of victims, only one of whom has lived long enough to offer a clue: The assassin has an eerie tattoo on his arm of the Grim Reaper waltzing with a woman in front of a casket.

Like his previous best-selling novels A Maiden's Grave and The Bone Collector, Jeffery Deaver's latest psychological thriller combines spine-chilling forensic detail with a turbocharged plot. In The Coffin Dancer, Rhyme, tragically paralyzed from a line-of-duty accident, continues to tutor his beautiful protégé, Detective Amelia Sachs, in the art of criminal hunting. Rhyme is certain he's seen this killer before, and his suspicion of an earlier encounter fuels a bitter taste for vengeance. When the chameleonlike assassin targets three federal witnesses for death, the stakes reach a new high. Rhyme's brainpower and Sachs' legwork are the only tools they have to track the cunning murderer through the subways, parks, and airports of a darkly painted New York City. And they have only 48 hours before the Coffin Dancer strikes again.

With The Coffin Dancer, Deaver - already an internationally best-selling author whose acclaimed novels have been translated into a dozen languages - uses his trademark plot twists to keep this fast-paced, masterly thriller steamrolling along with breathtaking speed. This is gripping suspense of the highest order.

©1998 Jeffery Deaver (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

Annoying

I really don't like cartoonish voices. The book is well written but gets lost in the infantile interpretation of Amelia and Tom who should both be strong characters to balance Rhime. I will not buy any subsequent books with this reader.

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Mixed feelings

Story was good. I did not like the narrator. Really hated him in the beginning. Got used to it by the end.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Yet Another Terrible Reader Spoils Great Book

I am so very disappointed with the chosen narrators for the first 3 wonderfully exciting books by talented Jeffery Deaver. His protagonist, Lincoln Rhyme is a (in his words) a gimp, a crip, a quad who has little control over any part of his body with the exception of a very sharp brain, which he uses to find criminals in NYC, with the help of former runway model, now cop, Sachs-aka Amelia-.

I read the first 3 novels in the series years ago, when they were released in book form, long before Audible was a dream. Back when Books On Tape used amateur readers to put books into tape (or even record form) for the blind. I really believe these novice readers have migrated to big time and are now reading for the production companies.
Take Jeff Harding-the narrator (and I use the word loosely ) for "The Coffin Dancer".
His voice is gruff-he could read Mickey Spallain type books (I know I spelled that incorrectly, I don't care), where the gruff cop or PI calls women dolls and babe. His voice has no essence of delicacy too it. All the men sound alike, every one has a serious New York
City slur accent, with no differences. All the women sound like they have smoked for 50 years. And when he's telling the story, between the he said/she said parts, his voice is...boring. This is an exciting story. Wheres the excitement?

With the plethora of excellent male narrators around (Luke Daniels for one and I could go on and on), WHY oh WHY do we have to listen to these poor readers.

Audible owes it to we faithful listeners to re-release the first 3 books in the story with-say-George Guidell reading them (I see he's been tapped for other books in the series.

And, we listeners need to have the second book in the series released in full length instead of the miserable 3 hour Abridged version, which is all thats available.

Don't bother buying this--go get the book at a used book store for a couple of bucks. The producers have given us a very short straw here-one we listeners don't deserve.

8 of 9 people found this review helpful

Mixed feelings-new review

After my second time or reading this novel, I was greatly annoyed with the narrator. His version of Lon Salito was a mush mouthed bad Italian imitation which was difficult for me to listen to. And his southern accent of detective Bell was just as bad. It made me want to stop listening but I didn't. His narration of Sacks made her sound like a weak, whining weakling. I will watch for Jeff Harding now and not listen to anything he narrates. The story was interesting with some twists.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

I am intrigued by Lincoln Rhymes., and I admire Am

I am intrigued by Lincoln Rhymes., and I admire Amelia Sachs. These two characters are far from perfect -- flawed, obstinate, stubborn, fearful, arrogant. They are similar to real people which makes them more interesting because they seem more like people I could know and like. Mr Deaver has taken a man in bed -- a quadiplegic - and allowed him to be intelligent and vibrant. He has also allowed him to be unlikable at times. He has taken a man in a bed and made him into a character who is loud, smart and full of motion. He doesnt ever appear to be stagnant or stuck. I like this as it is very easy to see disabled people as living less life. Amelia is, of course, an able-bodied woman. But she is also complicated and compelling. Despite her career, Mr Deaver has written her to be a character who acknowledges her fear and her anger. He allows her to seethe and simmer, and then to overcome all of it. I will definitely be buying #3 very soon.

Mr Harding's performance was very good. I enjoy the life that he breathes into the two main characters. He does an especially good job of expressing Lincoln's anger. He shows the man's frustration and allows him to sometimes sound like he is having a temper tantrum -- because he is.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

a goodread

many twists! holds my attention. but am able to still work! I plan on listening to each one in the series.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Narrator ruins the book

I tried, I wasted my time too. Could finish it. The narrator totally ruined it. I couldn't tell who was who. The worst at playing different parts. I could go on but I am returning it even though I got it on sake

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Great story!

It seems like I find a series and the first book or two are pretty good but after that, they don't hold my attention. I am hoping the Lincoln Rhyme series by Jeffery Deaver will be different I really enjoyed Book 1 introducing Lincoln Rhym a Criminologist who had become a quadriplegic.
I really enjoyed how all the elements were added in this story, deceit, betrayal, a victim who seemed hell-bent on suicide, mystery, suspense, murder, jealousy, and yes even romance.
Two things I didn't like in this book are first, the alter ego in the perp. was a distraction. Often he would talk to himself in a conversation manner like answering a commanding officer. There was too much "sir yes sir" of the wimpy soldier responding. This character had never been in the military, he enlisted but was rejected. So I'm not sure why Deaver thought this character would act and respond like this. It was distracting.
The second thing was there was a character who was a pilot, and that was great but there was too much pilot jargon. I couldn't understand any of it. None of it was relevant and it went on and on for several pages. It was just clearly showing that the pilot was flying the plane I thought it was unnecessary and the story could have been tightened up by cutting some of that out.
One thing I thought was a problem was how Steven the perp befriended a homeless guy out of nowhere. And suddenly they were best friends. I hated this throughout the story until the end when I saw it all come together. I'm glad I didn't give up, this book satisfied all the way up to the very twisted end!

AWESOME!!!2

Deaver did it again! Each chapter made me long for the next. A real thriller.

Never Thought I'd Say This

I do not make a habit of writing reviews of anything. Having said that I guess there is something that can motivate me...either exceptional or horrible. I also have chuckled when reading reviews of books that were for a dislike for the reader...now I won't laugh at that anymore. I love the Lincoln Rhyme series of books by Jeffery Deaver and this book is no exception to that. Love the storyline and his usual suspense and twists. However, the reader of this book almost had me stop listening in the first chapter and sending it back. There is NO ONE in the cast that this whiney reader does any kind of justice to! Not in comparison to any of the other Rhyme books I've listened to. Please, do not let this man read any more books! The storyline kept me listening and I am so far able to continue with the book but I can not wait till I finish and won't have to listen to this man ever again!